The Peak
by An Author's Pen
Summary: "Trainer is the one you love, who loves you back. Owner is the one who holds your freedom; when you regain it, you fly far away." Hunter J wasn't expecting trouble when she decided to go poaching at Mt Silver. But the fallout sets several lives on a new course.
1. A Reckoning (Hunter J)

**Chapter One - A Reckoning**

* * *

Hunter J methodically adjusted the straps of her thermal jumpsuit. The sheer cloth was constructed from heat-trapping polyamides, designed to deliver warmth without constraint. Mount Silver loomed above, a stern silhouette cut out against the white wintry sky. The cold wind snapped its teeth against her exposed face, as if in challenge, and Hunter J grinned, pulling up the tightly knitted cloth of her face mask.

"Ma'am?"

She turned at the sound of Nurse Joy's plaintive voice. "What is it _now_?"

Posing as an elite-level trainer from Hoenn had its upsides. She'd received three hot, free meals a day and plenty of tidbits about the habits of the local pokemon as she acclimated to the high altitude. But putting up with the nurse's insipid chatter had left her at the end of a short, fraying rope.

"I made you some cocoa! It will keep you warm on the inside."

Nurse Joy smiled, pressing the cup forward. Hunter J eyed it with distaste. A smiling bellossom beamed back at her, garishly set in glazed ceramic against a background of flowering fields. One would think, Hunter J mused, that Mount Silver's Nurse Joy could at the very least try to emulate the mountain's brooding aesthetic.

"Thank you," Hunter J said stiffly, managing a thin, forced smile as she took the cup. Even through her wool gloves, she could feel the heat radiating off of it. A cautious sip left her tongue burnt and the crown of her mouth slick with melted chocolate. The cocoa was rich and smooth, the sweetness balanced by a spicy undertaste. Despite herself, she took another sip.

"You'll be flying up, then?" Nurse Joy said. "I do advise walking, you know. The altitude gradient is less intense when taken gradually."

Hunter J shook her head. "I'm in a hurry."

It was fatal to be out of the poaching circles for too long. She'd had some bad luck lately—a few failed jobs back to back. It didn't mean anything, but word got around all the same. What she needed was a quick, lucrative win. Mount Silver's famously powerful pokemon were just the ticket. True, they wouldn't go for much among the rich layabouts who pined for albino eevees and rare dratini eggs, but the pit-fighting rinks would pay good money for some really savage fighters. And it would remind the world that Hunter J wasn't like the other poachers. She wasn't someone who could be ignored.

"Salamence and I will be fine."

"You're planning to ride a salamance?" Nurse Joy's face wrinkled into a tapestry of concern. "With that double weakness to the cold, I'm not sure it's wise."

This time, Hunter J failed to contain her scowl. "Do you think I'm some kind of first-timer? Any ten year old could give me advice like that. But in the depths of a blizzard, on strange terrain, you think I want to rely on some weak-willed charizard I've barely had the time to train? Pokemon's true strength doesn't have anything to do with those academic typing charts. My salemance is _strong_."

The last word was almost hissed.

Nurse Joy took a small step back. "I—I'm sorry to have offended you. And I'm sure you know your own pokemon best. I understand, of course, that the bond between pokemon and trainer transcends mundanities like the cold. It's a beautiful thing to have, that bond. I really am envious."

Inwardly, Hunter J rolled her eyes. People rattled along in the grooves of their cliches like well-oiled trains. Strength had nothing to do with _bonds_—it was about will, pure and simple, which some people had and others did not. The latter would always be prey to the former. Sick to her stomach with this inane conversation, Hunter J turned her back and strode away without saying another word.

Around the back of the center, her gear was packed and ready to go: collapsible cages, sleep darts, and her petrifying gun. Hunter J didn't believe in leaving anything to chance. She released her salamence, noting absently his instinctive shudder as a gust of mountain air reached them.

"Weakling," she said. "It'll be far colder than that on the peak."

Salamence stiffened at her words. When the next gust hit, he didn't move a muscle.

"Good," Hunter J said, satisfied. Yes, it was will that mattered. She ran one last check. All her pokemon were strapped to her belt: Salamance's ball, Ariados, Drapion, Weavile, and that fresh charizard. She didn't like the thought of bringing an untested pokemon along, but a fire-type offered self-evident advantages, and her stock was low at the moment.

Everything was in order. Hunter J set off to face the mountain.

~0~

Five hours later found her chilled and weary, but almost content. The pokemon here were unaccustomed to humans and had no sense of when to hide and when to fight. They fought, each of them, as if fighting could give them a chance.

Hunter J had always found it amusing that she was labeled a _poacher_ for her tactics. Trainers had a tendency to spit the word, as if they did something distinguishably different. As if there was some inherent fairness to _their _methods of capture. Fools—there was nothing equal about the relationship between a pokemon and a pokeball; Hunter J's methods were simply more efficient.

She lifted her arm to her face, squinting as she attempted to read the glowing numbers on her wristpad through the swirling snow. She'd strong-armed some disgraced research assistant into building pokemon transportation capabilities into the miniterized computer on her wristpad. The idiot had bleated a lot, but in the end he'd come through: the system had functioned so far without error. In fact, she was missing her airship a good deal less than she'd expected. True, the amenities were somewhat lacking, and the intimidation factor of a half ton airship couldn't be argued with—but there was something to be said for the immediacy of flying bareback. Feeling the ripple of Salamence's wing muscles as he followed her subtle directions was satisfying.

They were almost at the peak, now, and Hunter J wavered, unsure whether to press forward or head back. She'd more than filled her quota and picked up some standout specimens to boot—

Salamence caught the movement before she did, but his reaction triggered an automatic one in her. She jolted around, shooting with precision through the snow-covered pines. A loud roar told her that the shot had hit home. She dismounted Salamence and strode forward until she reached the foot of a fallen tyranitar, its mouth wet with froth.

_Probably has young_, Hunter J thought to herself. She pondered for a moment, and then made off to the right, her infrared glasses guiding her way. Up ahead she spotted the opening of a cave, nestled neatly between two large slabs of rock. Two heat signatures came from inside. Hunter J paused four meters away and scanned the area quickly.

The tyranitar's mate must be out of hearing range, gathering food, most likely. Otherwise it would have come at its mate's call.

She hardly had to duck as she stepped through the cave opening, which rose almost six feet. Two infant larvitar were huddled inside, surrounded by a nest of moss and fur. They'd clearly heard their mother's fall: their scales had developed the glistening sheen that was a young larvitar's only defense weapon.

Hunter J paralyzed them in two shots, stuck them in a capture device, and sent them off to the database. The mate would return to an empty nest. Would probably destroy half the area out of grief. Tyranitar were funny like that.

_Time to make for the peak_, she thought, as she made her way back to Salamence.

A lifetime of pokemon hunting had left Hunter J with a fine-tuned knowledge of pokemon behavior. If she ever had the inclination to write it down, she probably could give that old crank Birch a run for his money. And one thing she knew with certainty was that the peak of a mountain was always occupied by a pokemon strong enough to defeat any comer. A pokemon like that would be a fitting capstone to this productive day.

Hunter J examined her Salamence with a critical eye. The dragon had borne up well enough in the cold, reinvigorated by the bitter herbs she'd given him to chew. But she could see the weather was taking its toll. Would he be able to manage the journey to the peak and back?

_What does it matter_, Hunter J asked herself, suddenly irritated. _I need to go up and so he'll take me. And if he faints, there's always the charizard_.

"We're heading up," she told Salamence. Not waiting for an answer, she swung onto his back and squeezed her legs hard into his flanks.

The peak came into view all at once. The thick cover of trees vanished, and there was only white—a clearing, with a lone strip of snow leading to a sheer drop. Hunter J dismounted and made her way over to the edge, the snow crunching under her boots. The blizzard had abated somewhat. Below, it was a warm, clear day, and through the chilled air she could see all of Kanto and Johto laid out before her. The raw beauty of the view was almost obscene.

Hunter J turned away sharply, scanning the peak. She wasn't here to gawk, after all. She nudged Salamence, who was still staring out.

"Focus," she muttered. "Or I'm recalling you."

Two dancing lights appeared in her infrared glasses, a sign that two living bodies were approaching. Smiling, Hunter J prepared her gun. _Two from the top, and that will be a wrap_. _Then I can get somewhere warm_.

She was taken aback when a boy came into view, walking slowly up the peak towards her. His clothing did not match the arctic temperature—thin blue jeans and a red vest emblazoned with an outdated pokemon league logo. A red cap cast his face in shadow, but she judged that he was about fifteen. No older, certainly.

For a moment, they stared at each other. _Must be experienced to have made it up here_, Hunter J thought, but she didn't recognize him. Then again, she had never paid much attention to the Kanto-Johto circuit.

A pikachu, obscured behind his legs, scrambled up the boy's body and onto his shoulder. Hunter J eyed the pikachu with a more professional interest. She could feel the static charge of its presence despite the distance, a sure-sign of a powerful electric type. The redness of its cheek, the straightness of its tail—yes, here was a worthy target. Pikachu were mostly sold as pets, but there would doubtless be some pikachu fanatic eager to purchase a battle-ready one. Hunter J raised her stun-gun.

What happened next happened quickly. In the instant before she fired, the pikachu sent a precise electric charge at her left hand, which dropped limply to her side, paralyzed. As soon as she registered the attack, Hunter J released the four pokeballs on her belt with a single gesture and yelled for Salamence.

Salamence reared up and shot off a powerful dragon pulse at the boy, which his pikachu redirected to the side with an iron tail. Her other pokemon were quick to react —Drapion sent off a round of sludge bombs, Ariados a shadow ball, and Weavile a dark pulse. Each attack faltered against the shimmering yellow barrier the pikachu had conjured.

_A light screen_, Hunter J realized, clenching her fists. _What a nuisance._

"Physical attacks," she snapped at her pokemon, frustrated by their slow uptake.

The boy took advantage of her distraction to call out three more pokemon of his own: a venosaur, an espeon, and a charizard. With an inward curse, Hunter J noticed that her own charizard had yet to attack.

"What are you waiting for?" she yelled at it. "Fireblast, now!"

Charizard's fire blast flared out wide and uncontrolled, as if startled. The venusaur dispersed the diffuse flames easily with a storm of razor-sharp leaves.

_This is why I don't rely on untrained pokemon_, Hunter J thought irritably, giving up on the charizard. She turned back to the main battle, just as Weavile fell back onto the snow, chest charred by a brutal flamethrower.

Twenty years of professional poaching had left Hunter J with a brutal instinct for winning battles. But the altitude left her head spinning and her hands heavy. She seemed to be reacting in slow-motion, her commands coming seconds too late.

_I need to end this, now_.

With her left hand, she reached once more for her stun-gun—a few quick blasts while they were distracted would be enough. But before she could fire, the ground erupted under her, thick, relentless vines shooting up and wrapping around her chest. They squeezed tighter and tighter.

As Hunter J gasped for air, the sky—white and clear—grew red and then went black.


	2. Among the Enemy (Salamence)

**Chapter Two - Among the Enemy**

* * *

Salamence roared when he saw his mistress fall.

Adrenaline, hot and desperate, streaked through his body, burning through the cold-induced lethargy that had dulled his reflexes. He lunged forward, striking the venusaur squarely in the side. The brute staggered, but his vines didn't loosen.

_But that leaves you immobilized_, Salamence realized through the haze. He stepped forward, drawing up heat in his belly. He'd always struggled with this technique, but for once the fire came easily to him, bursting out towards the venusaur. Salamence narrowed his eyes in concentration. He had to keep the flame burning until his mistress was free.

He was not expecting the sharp, crackling pain that shot through him suddenly. _The pikachu . . !_

Salamence faltered under the thunder attack. It seemed to stretch out for an eternity and when it finally ceased, Salamence was left dazed and dizzy, stray electric sparks paralyzing the movement of his wings. He sank slowly onto the snow, which bit into him with cold teeth.

Through half-closed eyes, he took in the state of the battle. The newcomer, that charizard, was trading blows with his counterpart. But the blows were weak and his opponent matched him with ease, casually, almost as if the two were at play. Ariados was down, also fried by that pikachu's sudden bolt. Weavile and Drapion were back to back, losing ground to the espeon and pikachu's combined assault. At least the venusaur had stayed down where he left it, Salamance noted with grim satisfaction.

But as he watched the fight from his weakened position, Salamance struggled to accept the impossible. They were losing. Or rather, they had lost already, and it was now just a matter of time now. _Of course_, Salamance thought. Without the mistress to guide them, what chance would they have? He cursed himself for his slow reflexes.

He had to get her out of here before the battle fully turned. But what to do? He tried to beat his wings, but they fizzled strangely and sat like stones, impossible to lift. If he could not fly, he could not save her . . .

"Flamer!" he shouted to Charizard, who started, and for his distraction received a solid cuff to the head. "Flamer, listen to me. You must get her away from here! To somewhere safe!"

Flamer backed away from his opponent and looked at Salamence with wide, frightened eyes. "Take her? And what about you?"

"Forget about me! Her safety comes first."

The charizard only stared at him. "I don't understand," he whimpered. "You're hurt . . ."

Salamence cursed and with unbearable effort pushed himself to his feet. From the corner of his eye, he saw Drapion fall to the snow. They were running out of _time_.

The other charizard was watching them, his posture alert and eyes keen. But he was not attacking . . .

"You fool," Salamance shouted at Flamer. "Take her and leave now, while there's still a chance!"

Flamer looked from their mistress's fallen body back to Salamence. "I don't know how—"

"Do it NOW!"

Something in Salamence's voice finally got through. Flamer took a step forward, his gaze fixed on the mistress, and Salamence went almost limp with relief.

That was when the other charizard struck Flamer in the back with a powerful air slash that knocked him to the ground. He did not get up.

_Could anyone be that weak?_ Salamance thought in disbelief. A brief glance revealed that Weavile had also fallen. Now all his enemies were converging on the mistress, not taking any notice of Salamence. Did they think that because he couldn't fly he couldn't fight?

The mistress had not raised him _weak_.

He picked his moment carefully, keeping his gaze focused on the pikachu. The mouse was caught off guard when Salamence suddenly plowed forward and hit him with a powerful double-edge. The impact sent a wave of fresh, hot pain through his wings, but he was already building energy in his hind, and slammed the charizard approaching from behind him down with his tail.

Suddenly, his body seized up. Salamence recognized the sensation of a psychic attack. The treacherous espeon, no doubt. Didn't she realize that dragons like Salamence could resist these kinds of manipulations?

She was caught off-guard when he threw himself forward and bit hard into her flank with teeth brimming full of dark energy. An old move, one he had not had cause to use for many years, but his body remembered.

Salamence panted, awaiting the next attack. His enemies were keeping a wary distance now, and though he grinned at them with bared teeth, he had to admit that his strength was rapidly failing him. He could not keep this up for much longer.

"That's enough," a voice said.

It was the boy. The one who had stood there wordlessly throughout the battle. Now he was coming forward to crouch only feet away from Salamence, who measured the distance carefully.

_If he moved quickly enough_—a barrier suddenly bloomed into place between him and the human. It was the pikachu, a furious expression distorting his face.

"Don't you even think about it," the pikachu hissed.

Salamence stared hazily at the barrier—was this the kind that repelled energy or direct attacks? If the mistress were awake, she would tell him.

"Enough," the boy said again, his voice almost gentle. He placed a calming hand on the pikachu's head and something wordless passed between them. The anger fled from the pikachu's face, though the barrier remained, shifting and glittering in the reflected light of the snow.

A physical barrier, Salamence decided. Hadn't he been using physical attacks? Yes, so he had to use energy now. Salamance's thoughts felt sluggish, but all the same he concentrated on his core, trying to summon up the power for a flame. Even a weak one would do . . .

But it was no use. He had nothing left inside.

The barrier wavered and danced before his eyes, the last thing he saw before his legs collapsed from underneath him, and he joined his mistress in unconsciousness.

~0~

Salamance woke to persistent, buzzing pain. He ached, everywhere, and his wings felt lifeless when he tried to flap them. It took him a moment to remember what had happened. Then his eyes shot open, revealing more darkness.

Salamence pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the way his muscles screamed, looking rapidly from side to side. _A cave_, he realized, catching a glint in the distance, where a streak of cold daylight seeped in. He felt strangely warm and noticed for the first time that he rested not on bare dirt, but on a padded bed of vegetation, insulating him against the cold.

He had to find the mistress. Who knew how much time had passed already? Salamence took a cautious step forward, which sent new pain surging up his leg. He must have overexerted himself in that battle, pushed far past the limits of his body. That would all mean nothing though, if he could not move now! Pushing through the pain, he took a second step forward.

"Careful," a voice said suddenly. "You'll injure yourself."

The voice was low and deep and strangely muffled. It came from the darkness in front of him. Salamence cursed his poor dark-vision and sniffed the air, trying to understand what enemy awaited him. An earthy scent and a tinge of pollen rose to his nostrils.

"You!" he said in surprise. "I burned you!"

The venusaur chuckled, sending slight vibrations through the ground. "I'm recovered. Which is more than I can say about you."

Salamance felt a snarl rise in his throat. "Where is my mistress?" he shouted. "What have you done to her? If you have harmed her—"

"Calm down," the venusaur said, his soothing rumble cutting cleanly through Salmance's shouts. "Your mistress has not been hurt. But she is gone."

"Gone?" Salamence repeated. "What do you mean, gone?"

"Red has sent her to a human place."

"Where she will be cared for?"

He didn't like the pause before the venusaur answered. "Yes."

"I don't believe you," Salamance said. "I need to see her."

"You need to rest," the venusaur replied. "You pushed yourself too far already."

It burned like a salted wound to have his enemy commenting on his health.

"Have you really all healed up?" Salamance asked nastily, thinking back to the roaring fire he'd managed to summon in his battle-fury.

Another pause. Then the venusaur said, disgruntled, "If you must know, my side is killing me."

Temporarily satisfied by this admission, Salamence allowed himself to fall back onto the soft vegetation. The venusaur must have made this bed, he realized, and the realization made him suspicious.

"What will you do to me?" he asked warily.

The venusaur gave a ponderous rumble. "Ignore you, I hope," he said. "When you've recovered, you can leave."

"Who stops me from going now?" Salamence fired back, managing to wisp out a few embers as a warning.

"Yourself, I imagine," the venusaur retorted, plainly unimpressed by Salamance's display of strength. "Injury like that, it'll be several weeks before you're well enough to make the flight down from the mountain. And it will be longer, too, if you keep acting like a fool and drawing on energy you don't have to spare. So settle down."

After that, the venusaur went silent, and would not respond, no matter how much Salamence provoked him. Left to his own thoughts, Salamance brooded.

The battle was coming back to him now in flashes and instants. If only he'd understood the danger sooner! He would have taken her and fled. The venusaur's words returned to him and, grudgingly, he acknowledged their truth. In this state, he would die if he attempted flight from the mountain. And he'd be no help to his mistress like that. For the time being, he had no choice but to rest.

As if his body had simply been waiting for his mind to reach that conclusion, a stupor overcame him and he sank once more into sleep.

~0~

The hours swam by in a haze of feverish dreams. There was one that came back again and again. In it, he was lying in the snow, cold and shivering. The mistress watched him and said, "Weakling, it'll be far colder where I'm going." He tried, but he could not stop the shivers that left him trembling, so she laughed and turned away. 'Weakling," she said again, "I guess you can't follow me." Then she began to walk away. He struggled, but could not lift himself from the ground. Her form was already receding into the distance so he gathered his strength to make one final push—

"Oh stop thrashing, will you? It makes my tail twitch just looking at you."

Salamance woke with a start, still shaking as the dream merged with the darkened cave. The scent of oran berries before him drew his attention and he thrust his snout forward, searching.

"That's right, eat up," a voice chirped.

Salamence realized he recognized it. "Thunder Rat," he snarled, longing to revenge himself for that bolt which had left him lying here, too crippled to move.

"That's right," the pikachu said again, encouragingly. "Some people even call me _Great_ Thundering One."

Salamence's eyes narrowed in the dark. "Do they?" he said skeptically.

"Well, you could be the first." Though he could not see it, Salamence could sense the pikachu's self-satisfied smirk. The oran berry's sweet scent gnawed at his stomach, but Salamence refused to give in to his hunger like this, humbled before such a puny, infuriating enemy.

"Oh come on," the pikachu said at length. "If your stomach rumbled any louder, they'd be calling _you_ Great Thundering One." The pikachu laughed loudly at his own joke and then said, in a sharper voice, "Eat."

"I do not take orders from you," Salamance said proudly, arching his neck up.

The pikachu let out a small groan. "Do you take orders from common sense then? You won't get better if you don't eat."

"What does it matter to you whether or not I get better?" Salamance said suspiciously. "I am your enemy."

"Pretty piss-poor enemy you make then," the pikachu muttered. He perked up. "If you're a good salamence and eat up all your food, then you'll be well enough to fight me!"

"You wish for a rematch?' Salamance said, his energy rising at the thought. He supposed he could understand—

"Not really. I mean, I fried you pretty good the first time."

"Then what do you want from me?" Salamence growled. He was struck with an idea. "Tell me what you have done with my mistress and I will eat these berries."

"What?" the pikachu exclaimed, sounding indignant. "Why do I have to tell you something for you to eat, when you're clearly starving?"

"Think what you like, but I will not eat unless you tell me this. If I do not know where my mistress is, what is the point of recovering, anyway?"

The pikachu was silent for so long that Salamence began to think the whole conversation was another dream brought on by exhaustion.

"That's messed up, you know that, right?" the pikachu said at last, his voice more restrained than before.

"That I am loyal? I believe you can understand." Salamence remembered the way the pikachu's fur has risen in anger as he came to stand protectively in front of his master.

"Red would want me to be happy and healthy, even if we were separated," the pikachu said. His voice turned coaxing. "Wouldn't your mistress want the same?"

"No," Salamance replied. His heart sank, as he finally realized what his dreaming spirit had been trying to tell him. "She won't want me at all. I failed her. I was weak."

His head drooped, the realization draining the last strength from his body. For so long he had prided himself on being his mistress' best, fiercest companion, the one she could always rely on. How elated he had felt when she chose him for the Mount Silver expedition, trusting him to surmount his natural elemental weakness to the cold. But when the moment came, he had let her down. He had proven not his worth, but his weakness. Salamence let out a low moan, wishing that the Pikachu would leave him be. It was clear to him now that he would die in this miserable cave; at least he could hope to pass away without the thunder rat's irritating commentary.

Salamence was taken aback when a warm body pressed up close to his. The pikachu, but what was it doing?

"I'll offer you a deal," the pikachu said. His voice sounded different, stiff. "You will eat those berries and everything else I bring you, until you're able to stand and walk. When you're capable of walking yourself out of the cave and back, I will tell you what happened to your mistress."

Salamence considered the pikachu's unexpected words through the fog of depression. She surely wouldn't want him back, now that he had shown himself to be a weakling—but what if he was her only chance of escape? If he had that opportunity and squandered it to lay dying in this cave, how could his spirit rest easy?

And perhaps, perhaps if he found her, she would give him a second chance, forgive this one lapse, and take him back.

"I accept," Salamance said. He bent forward slowly, his snout finding the berries' yielding skin. He opened his mouth, the saliva pooling, and bit down.

"Finally," the pikachu huffed, stepping away.

Salamance chewed slowly. He remembered oran berries as being sweet, but in his mouth they tasted unaccountably bitter.


	3. A Sudden View (Koharu)

**Chapter Three - A Sudden View**

* * *

The morning was crisp and bright when Salamence emerged on the peak. Koharu had just completed a gentle loop in the chilled air and was resting on the edge of the incline, wings neatly folded against his back as he took in the view the clear day offered.

There was no warning except the sudden crunch of snow, a disgruntled murmur, and then a hoarse shout that sounded oddly incongruous against the serene snowscape: "Flamer, is that you?"

Koharu started and turned, his eyes landing on Salamence, who was slowly inching his way towards the tip of the peak. The dragon looked horrible—his wings hung limply, his eyes were dull, and his skin was reddened with cold rashes. But his mouth was set in a grim line and Koharu didn't doubt he would make it all the way. Salamence had a brutal, wild strength that Koharu didn't understand and couldn't help but admire.

His mouth hung slightly open as Salamence approached, not knowing what to say. The dragon examined him intensely, and under his gaze Koharu felt his eyes shift down, ashamed.

"You look all right," Salamence said, and Koharu flinched at the unspoken reproach his words carried.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Koharu managed to say at last. "I thought you were never going to come out, and Katsu said you weren't eating anything, but here you are." As soon as he spoke, Koharu felt like an idiot.

Salamence stared at him, mouth twisted in a frown. "Katsu? Is that the human?"

"The pikachu," Koharu explained.

"Hmph." Salamence was silent for a moment. Then he turned his sharp gaze on Koharu, eyes demanding. "Well, what have you found out? Anything?"

"Found out?" Koharu stammered. "A-about what?"

"The mistress, of course. What happened to her, where she is now. I thought you were conscious at the end of the battle, what did you see?"

Conscious? Koharu supposed he had been, but that wasn't saying much. He'd been summoned unexpectedly into the cold, attacks flying all around him, and at a total loss. The other pokemon moved in concert, as if they understood just what needed to be done, but he could hardly hear the commands shouted at him, and when another charizard had blocked his way, Koharu had hesitated. Kin, no matter how distant, was still kin, after all.

Koharu remembered Salamence shouting at him to take their trainer and leave, but Koharu hadn't known where to go and besides, how could he fly off in the middle of a battle, leaving the others to fight? Perhaps he should have gone, though, because he hadn't been much use in the end. A sudden blow had knocked him over and he'd only had the strength to watch as Salamence, looking half-dead himself, single-handedly held off three pokemon. The sight had frightened Koharu and he had felt both dread and relief when Salamence suddenly buckled and collapsed.

"I don't know what happened to her," Koharu explained. "They took us all into the cave, but when I recovered enough to go outside, she was already gone. Lord Belly Scar was also gone. Maybe he flew her somewhere?"

"I'm sorry, did you say _Lord_ Belly Scar," Salamence repeated, his expression incredulous.

"Yes?" Koharu said uncomfortably. "I didn't get his name, the charizard, I mean, so I thought an honorific would be appropriate—"

"You don't honor them," Salamence spat. "They are your enemies."

"But they healed us," Koharu said, surprised. "They've given us food." He knew that once someone had given you shelter and food, they were no longer your enemy.

"They have kidnapped the mistress," Salamence replied, his voice growing louder. "I will learn her location soon, from that wretched thunder rat, and then you will find her."

"Me?" Koharu said in alarm.

"Yes you." Salamence sneered. "Or do you know anyone else with a functioning set of wings around here."

The outburst seemed to tire him. Koharu watched in respectful silence as Salamence panted. He was looking out over the edge, but his eyes were glazed, like he wasn't really seeing it. After ten minutes rest he heaved himself up suddenly and began to make his way back.

Katsu appeared at the edge of the clearing. "You sure don't waste time, do you, Dragon-breath," he called out. The cheerful disrespect in his voice made Koharu tense and Salamence roar, "What did you just call me?"

"That's a compliment, isn't it?" The pikachu sighed in mock regret. "It's been too long since I've played with dragons."

Salamence let out another angry huff, but seemed to decide the confrontation wasn't worth his energy. He took another heavy step forward, and soon he had disappeared down the mountain.

The pikachu watched him go with a small smirk on his face. Making his way over to Koharu, he remarked, "A real sweet pecha, that one, don't you agree?"

Koharu frowned, trying to see if the pikachu was joking. "I thought he was in a rather bad mood," he said cautiously.

Katsu sighed. "You guys must be a lot of fun at parties."

"We don't go to parties."

"No, you just tear children away from their families." The pikachu's tone didn't change, but his eyes were suddenly sharp and the air around him cracked with static.

"No," Koharu said in confusion. And then, "What?"

Katsu looked at him very intently and Koharu shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. The pikachu, despite his small size and cheerful personality, intimated Koharu for reasons he could not articulate. "What do you think it is you do then?" Katsu asked.

"I—fly the human. Where she needs to go. And fight, if I am needed, I suppose. I don't know. I haven't been with her long. I was in training."

"She trained you?"

"No, others did that." Koharu looked at the ground. "The other pokemon think I am weak," he confessed. "They say I was only brought along because I fly well in the cold."

"Hm," the pikachu said, still studying him. "If you want a bit of advice, Kid, you have an opportunity here. I think you'd do well to take it."

"What do you mean?" Koharu asked, but the pikachu was ignoring him now, delicately grooming his side. Koharu shifted his gaze to the view, Salamence's words coming back to him.

_You will find her_.

But Koharu wasn't strong or brave. He knew little about the outside world. He had grown up on the reservation, safe among his clan, until the mistress's men had taken him. Then he had only known the training compound. He had no idea how to handle himself, out alone in the world.

_You will find her_.

Besides—the truth made him glance around, half-expecting to find Salamence bearing down on him—he didn't want to. The mistress frightened him even more than Salamence did. Her voice was sharp and cruel and she punished him with electricity when he didn't meet her standards. The thought of being alone with her—Koharu shuddered.

Movement caught his eye—there was a shape in the distance, rapidly growing in size as it approached. It was Lord Belly Scar, Koharu realized. The charizard made a neat landing on the peak, stretched his wings, and rubbed a lazy claw over his chest.

"Well?" Katsu said impatiently.

The charizard snorted. "Yes, he saw me. Your little scheme is going without a hitch."

"Excellent!" Katsu said perkily. "I'll just let Red know you're back." Katsu's tail swung cheerfully back and forth as he made his way down off the peak.

The charizard turned to examine Koharu.

"Well met, little brother," he rumbled.

The address warmed Koharu's heart. It had been a long time since he had spoken with a brother or sister.

"My brother, ancient and wise, I hope your flight was safe and tireless," Koharu replied. It was an old courtesy and the words felt awkward in his mouth, but he was glad to have them. Up-close, the other charizard was truly imposing. In battle Koharu had mostly noticed the intensity of his flame and the distinctive scar across his chest. Now he took in the other charizard's unusual girth and the patchwork of healed scars that decorated the rest of his body.

"Call me Melo," the charizard said.

"And I am Koharu," Koharu said at once, glad to be on name-terms.

Melo cast an appraising eye over him. "You haven't had wings long, have you."

"It's been less than one sun cycle since I was granted wings," Koharu confirmed. He hesitated. "Is it so easy to see?"

"It's the way you fought. You still wanted to use your claws. We all go through it; if you'll be sticking around here, I could teach you how to fight better."

Koharu blinked. Excitement fluttered in his chest. It meant something, didn't it, for such a distinguished charizard to offer to train him. It meant this Melo saw potential in him. But at once his heart fell.

"I don't think I can," he said. "I—there's something I'm supposed to do."

"Ah, a youngling with big plans," Melo said approvingly. "Well, what's it to be? Going to cross the ocean on your own? I did that once I got my wings. Frightening, to be sure, but it taught me what it means to be a creature of the air, not just of fire."

"N-no, it's nothing like that," Koharu explained. "I have to find my trainer."

"You had a trainer?" Melo asked, his eyes widening.

"Yes," Koharu said, surprised by the question. "Didn't you—I thought it was you who took her away."

The sympathy on Melo's face fell away. "Oh, that one," he said. "I thought she was your owner."

"That's correct, Honored One," Koharu answered. He was frightfully confused now and the only thing holding him together was the conviction that he could not act rudely in front of this charizard, who was both his elder and his better.

Melo's eyes narrowed. "Your accent's strange to me, so perhaps our words are passing each other by. Trainer is the one you love, who loves you back. Owner is the one who holds your freedom; when you regain it, you fly far away."

Koharu felt his mouth fall slightly open. The cold air teased his teeth, but he could not think of anything to say. Koharu was sure the Mistress didn't love him. And he—he couldn't say that he loved her. But he had been trained for her, he had a _duty_ towards her.

_Freedom _. . . Koharu looked out at the expanse beyond the peak and found himself dizzy.

"Please excuse me," he blurted out, "I'm terribly cold."

He had to get away and think. Koharu stumbled away, down the mountainside.


	4. Beyond the Mountain (Blue)

**Chapter Four - Beyond the Mountain**

* * *

The call came in the middle of Blue's morning training session. He almost didn't catch the ring over the rumble of falling stones.

"Hang on," Blue said, as Dancer gathered flame for a counter attack. "I'll be right back."

Blue had his videophone set to block most numbers; to interrupt his training, it must be something urgent.

Sure enough, when he crossed the room and accepted the call, Officer Akira's face appeared on the screen. The jenny's expression was tense.

"Officer?" Blue said, going alert. "What can I help you with?"

"It's a bit of an unusual situation," Akira said shortly. "I can explain more at the station, but to be brief, late last night a charizard dropped off an international criminal on our doorstep. We have no idea what happened—the charizard isn't wearing any tags, but from my limited knowledge of pokemon training, it's high level. We were hoping you could come take a look."

"Of course," Blue agreed, his head spinning. _An international criminal? Here in Viridian?_ The worst crime he'd had to deal with this year was the ongoing vandalism of his gym. "I'll be there in five."

Blue closed the call and looked over to his pokemon. "Guess morning training is cut short for today, guys . . ."

.

Officer Akira was waiting outside the station when Blue dismounted from his pidgeot.

"Thank you for coming so promptly," she said, leading him past the waiting room and down a corridor. "The charizard is in here. It's been perfectly well behaved, so we haven't tried to restrain it. One of the junior officers fed it some berries a few hours back."

Her tone was harried, and as she spoke, she glanced distractedly over her shoulder. Blue had the impression that wayward charizards were one of only many difficulties she was dealing with this morning.

Blue stepped inside the room she indicated. Clearly an interrogation chamber hastily repurposed, the space was far too cramped for the enormous charizard standing at its center. The charizard wasn't facing the door, so at first Blue only took in the wide span of its wings and the truly intense heat emanating from its tail. High-level . . . no joke, a charizard with a flame like that could probably give Blue's blastoise a run for his money.

Then the charizard turned around and Blue felt his mind freeze. The charizard's belly bore a large, distinctive scar. A scar Blue would recognize anywhere. His eyes moved upwards, meeting Charizard's dark ones and seeing recognition spark in them.

It was completely impossible—but this was Red's charizard.

"Whippy?" he said, the old nickname Red had given his charmander.

The charizard let out a pleased roar, his breath heating Blue's face as he pressed in closer into a charizard's idea of an embrace.

"Good to see you, too," Blue murmured, his hand running wonderingly up Charizard's warm, tough skin. "But how—" He couldn't finish his own sentence. "Is Red—did something happen to him?" Officer Akira had mentioned a criminal. "Is Red hurt? Does he need help? Is that why—?"

Charizard cut Blue off with a huff. His lack of urgency finally got through to Blue. If something had happened to Red, no way would Whippy be waiting calmly to the side in this little room.

Blue needed context. He needed facts.

"Look, I'll be right back," Blue said. "You stay put, okay?"

Charizard looked amused. His wings flared, as if to say, _Just what do you think I've been doing?_

Officer Akira had already left. Blue hurried out into the hallway and caught a junior officer by the arm. "I need to speak with Officer Akira," he said. "Where is she?"

"Interrogating the suspect, in room 30b," she replied.

"Can you take me there? It's urgent."

As they rounded the corner, Blue caught his first sight of the prisoner through the one-way glass. She was a tall woman, even seated, with a harsh, rugged face framed by greying purple hair. Her cheekbones were sharp and her eyes were a pale, angry soot. A smirk crossed her face at something Officer Akira said.

Blue wavered, not wanting to interrupt the interrogation. But after a minute Akira stood and left the cell, shaking her head.

"What a rotten person," she muttered. "She has to know she's in real trouble here. Interpol's top ten list for the last five years, and all she can give me is some nonsense about a boy and his pikachu?"

Blue's breath caught. "A boy and his pikachu? What did she say? Where did she see him?"

"Do you know what she's talking about?" Officer Akira narrowed her eyes at Blue.

Blue wasn't sure what to say. It could be a coincidence, but that was Whippy just a few doors down. "May I speak with her?" he asked instead.

Akira frowned. "I suppose as our gym leader you have the right. But keep your guard up. This is a hardened poacher you're dealing with, not some run of the mill thief."

"Thank you."

Blue mustered a smile and slipped into the interrogation room. Inside, the prisoner tracked him with apathetic gray eyes.

"Who are you, then?" she said, her eyes falling to the pokeballs at his waist. "A trainer of some sort, I suppose."

"I'm Viridian's gym leader," Blue said, sitting in the chair opposite her.

"How very nice for you. I don't suppose you're here because you're interested in beefing up your team? I can hook you up with an absolutely raging tyranitar."

Blue shot to his feet in indignation before his mind caught up with his body and he took in the cool disdain in the prisoner's eyes. The blunt incitation to bribery wasn't sincere.

"Don't insult me," Blue said quietly. "I want to know about the boy and pikachu."

"I already told the jenny all that," the prisoner said. "But very well. He couldn't have been much older than you. Red cap. Powerful pikachu."

She watched with interest as Blue's face paled.

"Oh, do you know him?" she asked, with transparently fake amiability. "He didn't looked very well. Sort of ... peaky." Her grin was savage. "Of course, I wouldn't expect anything different, wearing clothes like that in freezing weather. Poor boy probably dropped dead of pneumonia already—"

"That's enough."

Blue looked down and realized his hands were trembling. The prisoner had noticed too. Her gray eyes were fixed on him, searching.

"A friend of yours, is he? I have to admit, I'm curious. What's a wonderkid like that doing freezing his ass off in the middle of nowhere?"

"The middle of nowhere," Blue repeated, his mind working furiously. There weren't too many cold spots in Kanto. "Where exactly was that?"

"You'd really like to know, wouldn't you?" The prisoner gave a self-satisfied smile. "Excellent. Now we can barter."

"I don't make deals with criminals," Blue said sharply. He left the interrogation room, the heavy metal door crashing behind him.

Officer Akira met him in the corridor. The harried expression was back on her face. "Blue, there you are. Tell me, did you manage to examine that Charizard?"

"Yes," Blue said, "But only a look. I'm going back now, actually."

He wasn't sure what was going on, but one thing was clear—Whippy could lead him to Red.

Officer Akira blinked. "Oh that's right, you were with Hunter J. The charizard's gone. Walked right out and flew off—we were hardly equipped to stop it."

Blue's heart plummeted. "Gone?"

But why? Whippy had recognized Blue, he was sure of it. Why leave now?

"I'm just glad you had a chance to see it before it took off. Did you learn anything useful?"

Blue chose his words carefully. "The charizard clearly belongs to a high-level trainer. Someone as strong as me or stronger." He didn't want to bring Red into this yet, not until he knew what was going on. "If I had to guess...this trainer must have defeated Hunter J and then sent his charizard to bring her here."

"A Good Samaritan?" Officer Akira's face brightened. "That's one less problem, then. You wouldn't mind repeating that for Interpol, would you? They don't like loose threads."

Blue nodded without really listening. If Whippy was gone, then he needed to speak to the prisoner again.

"It's never nice to have the international agencies swooping in, but I think it's for the best in this case. We found some sort of miniaturized teleport on her arm—a one-way transport, my tech expert says, but she can't work out how to reverse it. Interpol will probably have the tools. Though, if I could just get her to talk—"

Officer Akira was speaking to herself now, her brow furrowed as she walked briskly down the hallway. She didn't raise an objection when Blue followed her back into the interrogation room.

The prisoner raised her head to examine them, but didn't speak.

"Hunter J," Officer Akira said tiredly, "you aren't doing yourself any favors. If you would agree to give us the names of your contacts and the location of your stolen pokémon, we could work something out before Interpol gets here. Believe me, you'd prefer that."

The prisoner yawned. Looking closely at her, Blue didn't think she'd done so for theatrical effect. She looked exhausted.

"Harping on that again? The answer is no. I don't cooperate with the police and certainly not with you local ninnies. My reputation would never survive it."

Officer Akira sighed. "All right, I tried. Interpol will be arriving tomorrow to take you into their custody. If you change your mind, you can always work out a plea bargain with us."

Shaking her head, she left the room. Blue made as if to follow her out, but lingered as the door slammed shut. He turned back to find the prisoner watching him with narrowed eyes.

"Let's make a deal," she said. "You want to know where your friend is, I want to know just who he is. Seems like we can help each other out."

Blue hesitated. With Whippy gone, this was his only chance to find Red. The prisoner wasn't asking him to do anything illegal. There didn't seem to be any harm in answering.

"His name is Red. He's a trainer, who once defeated the champion of Kanto."

"The champion?" The prisoner's eyes were bright with surprise. "That little runt? Well, that's some salve to my ego, I suppose. But why would a trainer like that be hanging out alone on top of a mountain?"

"A mountain?" Blue's heart began to race. "You mean Mt Silver?"

The prisoner nodded. She opened her mouth again, smirking slightly, but Blue had already wheeled out of the room. He ran out of the police station and jumped on Pidgeot's back.

Back at the gym he began to dig frantically under his bed for the suitcase that held his winter clothes. It had been more than a year since he'd last looked at them—Viridian was a temperate city.

"Toise?" The low rumble of his blastoise's voice paused him. She was watching him intently from the doorway.

"It's Red, Tajika. He's on Mt Silver."

"Bla toi se?"

"So we've got to go." But Tajika's question cut towards a deeper doubt. Blue sat back on the floor, breathing hard.

What was it the prisoner had said? _What kind of former champion hangs out in the middle of nowhere?_

Why would Red have gone to Mt Silver, without telling anyone, if he'd had any interest in being found?

"Well tough," Blue said aloud. "I don't care if he wants to be found or not. You can't just disappear like that."

It had been ... almost two years now. Impossible to wrap his mind around. But the demands of establishing himself as a new gym leader had been constant and unrelenting, the battles, public meetings, and stream of minor incidents that were somehow now his responsibility. Tracking down lost pokemon, listening to claims of property damage last month, when a dugtrio tunneled off on a leisure dig, and both involved parties somehow preferred to settle it through him rather than go to the local magistrate . . .

It was—well, it was wonderful. And Blue was finally getting the hang of it, finally starting to get some local respect.

But Red should have been here to see it. His absence was like a toothache. It mostly hurt in the evenings, when the bustle quieted and he was left alone with his thoughts. At first he'd hardly noticed, but that kind of constant ache became unbearable, in time.

"Should I go?" Blue asked Tajika quietly.

His blastoise regarded him with a long, steady gaze. Then she snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Toi-se blastoise," she rumbled.

The rest of the evening, as he packed his clothing and called an endless string of municipal officials to inform them of the gym's upcoming closure, her words continued to bang around his mind.

_You should have gone at once._

"But I didn't know where he was," Blue said out loud, as he climbed into bed. His mind remained awake, even after he was bundled in his blankets. Sleep seemed in no hurry to arrive.

_I didn't know where he was._

No, it didn't sound very convincing, even to him.

Blue turned over on his side and willed himself to sleep. Tomorrow was bound to be long and very cold.


	5. A Cold Morning (Katsu)

**Chapter Five - A Cold Morning**

* * *

The morning dawned fresh and frigid. Katsu fluffed his fur, pressing closer into his human's side. On days like this, nothing was more pleasant than Red's unfailing warmth, the familiar hollows of his sleeping body.

"It's changing . . ." Red murmured.

Katsu flicked his ears, considering. The winds were changing, certainly, coming strongly from the south-west today. And the seasons were too—winter was starting the long thaw into spring. But Katsu knew his trainer well enough to know that this was not what he meant.

As he luxuriated in Red's warmth, Katsu wondered if his human had guessed.

Katsu wriggled out from under Red's arm. His paws sinking deep into the vegetation that lined the cave floors, he made his way into the next chamber.

"I'm off berry-hunting," he announced.

The only answer was loud and prolonged snore.

"Well really." Katsu crossed his arms. "I know you're awake, Melo."

The charizard rolled over and slid open one lazy eye to peer at Katsu. "I just got back from a long flight. Don't ask me to go out into the cold."

Katsu snorted. "Come off it. I know you're itching to mentor that wide-eyed charmander."

"All right, you're omniscient. Now bugger off." Melo gave another exaggerated yawn and rolled back over on his side.

"Numia?" Katsu said aloud, poking Venosaur in the side. When she didn't stir, Katsu gave a loud sigh. "What a bunch of layabouts you all are."

He stood for a moment in the center of the cavern, ears twitching. Then, reaching a decision, he set off towards one of the smaller tunnels, where they had housed the injured salamence.

Katsu could just make out his outline in the dim light that trickled in from outside, casting his grey wings a muddied silver. The salamence was hunched over and breathing heavily. Every so often he reached out with his head and clamped his jaws down, as if he were biting something that wasn't there.

Katsu observed him with interest. After a few minutes, he sent a small electric shock across the cavern. Salamence arched up, his wings expanding to their full span. His head darted frantically from side to side.

"Rise and shine, Lazy-bones," Katsu chirped.

Salamence retracted his wings and glared in Katsu's general direction. "Oh, it's you," he growled. "Come for a rematch, Thunder-rat?"

Katsu guffawed. The laughter rose up from his belly and made his whole body tremble. "You don't give it a rest, do you?" he said admiringly. "Well, you're in luck. I'm going out berry-hunting and I need a companion so I can stay amused along the way."

"I don't have any interest in amusing you," Salamence grumbled. "Seems like you amuse yourself enough without my help, anyway."

"Come on," Katsu coaxed. "Haven't you been wanting a chance to test your strength? Besides, where do you think all those nice berries have been coming from? It's a hard days work finding them in these wintery months. We've been freezing our paws off housing you."

"I didn't ask you to," Salamence fired back. But after a moment, he pushed himself up on his forelegs and began to stumble towards the entrance of the cavern.

"Is that a yes?" Katsu asked from beside him, easily keeping pace. Salamence didn't answer, but when they emerged from the cave, he looked at Katsu expectantly.

"We had some snow last night," Katsu explained readily. "Just a small covering, but it hides the berry bushes. We need to dig the ripe ones out before they get lost."

They walked for several minutes in a silence broken only by the drag of Salamence's wings against the snow and the staggered thump of his footfall. Katsu came to a stop next to a rocky outcrop. "You see that there? Give it a shake, will you?"

Salamence eyed the snow-covered bush dubiously.

"Come on," Katsu encouraged.

Salamence rammed himself into the bush. Snow fell down off the branches.

"Once more."

More snow joined the pile.

"Now let me see." Katsu ducked into an opening between two branches. "The berries grow on the inside," he explained as he inched forward, nose to the ground. "Protects them from the frost. Ah, here we go."

Katsu sunk his teeth into the aspear berry's exceptionally thick skin and carried the berry out. He repeated the process several times, until six berries were gathered on the red cloth he had brought. With his teeth, Katsu brought the four ends together.

"Now bite there, and they won't spill," he instructed Salamence, who gave him a perplexed look, but bent down all the same.

_Obedient_, Katsu mused, as he made leftwards.

"Hey, Dragon-breath," he called out. "Now that we're regular comrades-in-arms, are you gonna tell me your name?"

The salamence shot him a puzzled look. "I'm Salamence," he said.

Katsu chewed on that for a moment.

"Right . . ."

After fifteen minutes of travel through the freshly fallen snow, the landscape changed dramatically. Up ahead, the trees lay overturned, their horizontal trunks covered thinly with snow; other trees bore dark scorch marks across their bark. Katsu heard the shuffle of Salamence's feet slow and stop. "Come on," he said, without looking back. "Almost there."

In the center of the devastation, the dark crevice of a cave was visible between two large rocks.

"Tronio!" Katsu called out as they approached. "It's me, Katsu. I've brought you berries."

Salamence's labored breathing was loud in the long silence that followed.

Finally, a low voice rumbled from the darkness of the cavern, "Not hungry."

Katsu crossed his arms. "Don't give me that. Word is you haven't eaten for three days."

"So I haven't," the voice rumbled back. "What does it matter?"

"It matters because I chose to freeze my hind off this morning berry-gathering for you. The only honorable thing is to accept what's offered, something I shouldn't have to tell you."

There was a hiss behind him—Salamence had sucked in a nervous breath. The ground trembled slightly, as the dark shape in the caven began to move. The tyranitar crawled out tail-first; at his full height he stood taller than the spans of two trees stacked. The scales of his skin were dull. He brought his head down level with Katsu and, his breath warm and rank, murmured, "Forgive me, Thunder-warrior. I owe you a great debt for bringing down that beast."

"Sure, sure," Katsu waved his paw awkwardly. "Now eat, will you? I'm becoming everyone's nursemaid these days," he muttered to himself.

Tronio ate the berries slowly and mechanically. He paused before the fourth, his gaze rising to take in Salamence. "I don't believe we've met before," he said, hoarsely. "I am Tronio." His expression grew dark as he looked Salamence over. "I see that you also grieve. Who was it you lost, when the hunter came?"

Salamence swallowed and looked over at Katsu as if expecting some kind of help. Katsu said nothing, though his tail twitched slightly, curious despite himself to see how the salamence would answer.

Salamence broke their gazes and mumbled, "Someone important."

"The hunter took my mate and my two young children," Tronio said heavily. "I was out foraging when it happened. I scented no danger that day, and by the time I returned, the nest was empty." He shuddered. "I should have been there to protect them. I cannot forgive myself for it."

Katsu pushed himself against Tronio's cheek, offering voiceless condolence with his warmth. He was surprised when the salamence broke the silence.

"When it happened, I was not strong enough to stop it," Salamence said hoarsely. "The blame is mine. But it is not the same for you. It cannot be said that you failed."

Tronio stilled. "You envy me? No. You at least had the chance to act. If I had expended all my strength, if I had been slain before them, and still it was not enough, at least I would have died in peace and been welcomed into the mountains of my ancestors. Now—" He shook his head. "I am cursed to live, kinless, childless." His voice broke. "And what of my children? I do not know if they are dead or alive. If they were dead, I would make the mountains roar for their passing. But if they live, what torments do they suffer?"

"They live!" The certainty in Salamence's voice made Tronio raise his head. "I know—I have knowledge of such things. Their fate is not so bad. Truly, it is no torment. They will be raised by humans to fight. They will grow strong . . ."

He faltered as the ground began to shake.

"Strong?" Tronio roared. A crack grew in the rocks behind him and something crashed out of sight. "Strong is for me to teach them! As my aba and baba taught me. Until the day came when my daughters would be brave enough to step out alone into the world. And after—after, there would be long winters. Each frosting my mate and I would sleep a little longer, until finally we would not wake. But we would know that our daughters walked on, strong from the strength we taught them. That duty was _mine_." The last word came out a long, agonized moan. The shaking of the ground slowed and lessened. Tronio pushed himself up from the snow and crawled head-first back into the crumbling cavern without another word.

Katsu shook his head "I don't think he'll last until spring," he said regretfully. There were a few aspear berries still strewn like spilled gems on the snow. One was crushed—Katsu brought his head down and ate it up slowly, though the sour taste made his mouth pucker. Then he turned to the remaining intact berries and carried them one by one to just outside Tronio's cave.

At last, he looked up. The salamence was standing just where he'd left him, in the same position, like he'd been frozen there. Katsu licked himself carefully, until he was sure that the sour taste in his mouth was from the berry and not from the stunned look on the salemance's face.

"Well that's that," he said flatly. "I hope it was educational. Come on, we're heading back up."

He had to slow his pace on the return journey. The salamence was hardly able to put one leg in front of the other. Katsu watched as he struggled to clamber over a fallen trunk that obstructed his path.

"No torment," Katsu mused to himself. "Hey Dragon-breath," he called in a louder voice. "Did you know your parents?"

No answer from the salamence, just more heavy breathing. Unbidden, the cramped den he had grown up in rose in Katsu's mind. It had always been warm, even in the coldest months, and the warmth was what he most remembered. His siblings had been tiresome and his mother kind. She'd licked him down every evening and fed him electricity when he was sick. Leaving had never been a decision; it was an impulse written into him from the moment he first opened his eyes, the same way a pidgey heads south with the changing seasons.

He had never once regretted it; Red was his home now.

.

When they finally rounded the peak, Salamence headed for his cave without speaking. Katsu almost called after him, but a fearow shivering in the cavern's opening caught his attention.

"Sabler, what's new?"

"He's begun the ascent, Katsu," the fearow replied. "We're keeping an eye on him, but at this rate he'll make it up fine."

A warm jolt of anticipation raced through Katsu, putting the salamence out of his mind. Plans were one thing. It was another to be in deep enough that events played out at their own speed, faster than the mind could bring them to account. He scented towards the cavern and caught the savor of Red's breakfast on the air.

"Thanks, Sabler," he said. "You have my gratitude."

"And you have mine, Katsu, earned many times over." The fearow fluffed herself up and spread her wings, catching a strong draft that sent her soaring up, up into the air. Katsu ran to the tip of the peak, so he could follow her with his eyes as she circled twice and then made her descent down towards the base of the mountain.

Slowly and seriously, Katsu took in the view. During blizzards, it was hard to believe anything except the mountain existed, but on clear days like this, all of Kanto was visible, and Johto too.

"Little ol' me on top of the world," Katsu said aloud and snickered at himself. There was nothing to do now but watch and wait.


	6. At Crossroads (Red)

**Chapter Six - At Crossroads**

* * *

The water had boiled by the time Red made his way into the central cavern. He crouched over the wide metal pot and warmed his hands in the rising steam. No one else was around, but air hissed outside, too short and sharp to be wind. Melo must have returned.

Red took his time preparing the instant noodles. He let the water cook them soft and fat, then brought the bowl to his mouth, closing his eyes as the salty taste of the mix hit his tongue. It had been a long time since he had eaten proper ramen with fresh-cut scallion floating on the top. He missed it, more on some mornings than others.

Outside, Melo circled in the sky, evading the fire blasts of a younger charizard—the poacher's one. Red watched him thoughtfully from the lip of the cave. Aerial awkwardness was usual in a charizard that young, but this charizard's problem wasn't flight, it was timing. Red waited until the two had landed and then came forward.

Melo noticed him first, letting out a happy roar of flame that dissipated a few feet from Red's face. The other charizard took an uncertain step back.

"You have to aim for where he'll be, not where he was," Red said quietly. He didn't wait for understanding to dawn on the younger charizard's face—Melo could explain it.

Red continued forward and came to the edge of the peak, where the ground sloped down into bramble. The morning may have started cold, but the air was already beginning to warm. The sun shone full and bright today, and the sky above was untroubled by clouds.

The best part of Mount Silver was the quiet. The mountain had its own sounds, of course, and Red had grown used to them: the hiss of the wind, the soft stacking and falling of snow flurries, the occasional calls of the local pokemon. But mostly there was the silence, which altered in texture from day to day.

It had been completely silent when he defeated Champion Lance in that small, gold-paneled hall. But not as silent as when he defeated Blue. That had been different, a silence like a vacuum, before the sound rushed back in. And afterwards, the look on his face . . .

Red drew in a breath. That was years ago. This was now. Mount Silver, back to normal after the Hunter's invasion.

_No._

"Something's wrong," Red said aloud, half expecting the mountain to answer him. Ever since the poacher, he had been knocked off-balance. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The snow crunched behind him, and then a warm weight settled on his shoulder.

"Hey," Red said softly. "I know you're up to something."

_Who, me? _Katsu laughed.

_Yes, you_. But there was never anything to be done about Katsu's mischief except wait for it to unfold.

Suddenly, Red tensed. "Do you hear that?"

A call cut the mountain's silence, passed from branch to branch. _Stranger. Intruder_. Red didn't hear the same panic that had heralded the poacher's ascent, but the call rose loudly and urgently. The pokemon were still spooked.

Wings rustled behind Red. He turned to Melo and mounted the charizard quickly. After what happened last time, Red didn't want to waste even a moment.

~0~

They came upon the intruder halfway down the mountain. He was bundled in a heavy winter coat, his features obscured by a dark facemask. A large arcanine bounded at his side. Red couldn't make out the intruder's face, but he recognized the distinctive pattern of dark whorls on the arcanine's fur.

He froze.

"Cha." Katsu's breath was a satisfied huff in his ear.

Red guided Melo down into a thicket of closely growing trees and swung off his back, but didn't make any move forward. He tossed his cap from hand to hand, his eyes directed downwards.

Should he say something? Call out? Up on Mount Silver nothing really ever needed to be said. His pokemon knew his needs as well as he did.

Before Red could come to a decision, it was made for him. Katsu leaped off his shoulder and ran out into the open, his yellow fur blazing like a beacon against the white snow. Blue stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze locking onto Katsu.

"Red?" he called out. "Are you there?"

Reluctantly, Red stepped out from between the trees, jamming his cap back on his head. At once Blue shot forward across the feet that separated them. He swayed suddenly, his hand coming down heavily on Red's shoulder to break his fall.

"Sorry," Blue said, withdrawing his hand. His breath was coming fast. "I think I'm a bit dizzy."

"Idiot." The old insult rolled easily off Red's lips. "You didn't acclimatize."

"I didn't want to wait."

Red turned away, his eyes meeting Melo's. The charizard nodded and stepped forward to offer Blue his back.

"I'll follow you up."

Melo could carry two passengers easily, but Red needed some silence. He needed some space to put his thoughts in order.

"You will?"

"What else have I ever done?" Red answered on reflex and then winced. It had been years since he'd heard his own voice sound so bitter.

Melo took off before Blue could offer a reply. Just like that, the grove was empty. The warning calls had died down. Red stood still, breathing. Above him, snow tumbled from branch to branch, shaken by the wind.

~0~

When Red finally reached the peak, he found Blue seated comfortably on a cluster of vines, sipping a cup of tea and scritching Katsu on the belly. Red watched him for a moment, unobserved. Blue looked . . . good. His hair was cut shorter than Red remembered it, the unruly spikes sleeked down and tamed. Something about the way he held himself also struck Red as new. Blue had always used to fidget with suppressed energy. Now he sat calmly, the thermos held loosely in his hand. He looked up when Red stepped into the cavern.

"You're angry at me," he said, before Red could open his mouth. Red shook his head, sitting cross-legged on a bed of vegetation. "Yes, you are. But I'm the one who should be angry with you! You took off without a word of goodbye and then nothing for two whole years!"

"No," Red said. "I went to your gym."

Uncertainty darkened Blue's face like a sudden cloud. "You did?"

Red dipped his head. _You were busy. You turned me away. _

Silence fell between them in a thick curtain. Blue sipped his tea, his left hand beginning to tap against the thermos. The gesture was familiar. Red all at once felt able to speak. "How is the gym?"

"My gym?" Blue's eyes widened as if startled. "It's doing great. It's not—it's not at all like I imagined it when I was a kid, you know, non-stop battles and all that. It's more like a job. I'm responsible for all these things, and people count on me to do them."

"You've been busy, then."

"Busy, yeah. But come on, Red, we're not going to sit here all day without you giving me some kind of explanation. I mean, no one's heard from you for two years! Your mom must be worried sick."

Red felt his face tighten. "So you never asked her?"

"Asked . . ?"

"Where I was."

"She knows?" It hurt to watch the bafflement spread across Blue's face. "But I spoke to her just last month. I told her it wasn't the same without you around. She didn't say anything about you being up on Mt Silver."

"Sounds like . . . sounds like you didn't ask." Red got up and fumbled around in the pantry Numia had made from her vines. He avoided Blue's face, chucking a package of instant noodles at him instead. "These don't grow on trees, you know."

Mom had always given Red space when he needed it. After she'd made sure he had long underwear, a silk undershirt, and a store of Vitamin C pills, she hadn't asked him to come back down.

"You were always a quiet kid," she said. "No tantrums, but when you got into a fight, it hurt you deeply. Back when you were little, you'd get into all these spats with Blue and then go and sit up in a tree. You sat up there a whole evening once. The neighbors wanted to call the fire brigade but I knew you'd come down when you were ready. And you did."

Red remembered that. But Mom didn't know the whole story. She didn't know that Blue had wandered by in the early morning and tossed up a chocolate pokeball.

"This is boring," he had said. "Let's go play."

It was as close as Blue ever got to an apology. So Red had nodded and climbed down. And that had been that, until the next time.

"Okay," Blue said. He tossed the packet of instant noodles from hand to hand, the slap of the plastic strangely loud. He sounded serious. He sounded like he'd been thinking. "I guess I didn't ask. Can I ask now? Why are you up here? What happened? All that fuss after your press statement—that was a pain, but it wasn't a hermit-yourself-on-a-mountain-top level of pain, was it? So why? Was it something that I—"

He didn't seem able to finish his own sentence. He thrust the thermos into his face and took a long, slurping sip.

"After we fought," Red said slowly. "After that battle. Remember? You said if it weren't for me, your life would be perfect."

Blue stared at him with the face of a person trying to replay the past in his head. "I've said too many stupid things to remember them all," he said finally. It sounded like an apology. As close as Blue ever got to apologies.

"I remember them."

_It's not so easy anymore_, Red thought, feeling his fingers curl into fists. _You can't just tell me you're bored and let's go play now. My life doesn't start and end with you_. He'd proven that to himself these last two years.

"Just how long do you plan to stay up here?"

"Don't know."

"Maybe I'll stay too." Red's head shot up. "Until I get some answers," Blue added.

From the ground, Katsu laughed. _Good luck with that_.

Blue looked down at the pikachu uncertainly. He'd never been able to understand Katsu, but anyone could tell when they were being mocked.

"You have a gym to run," Red said. "Don't you?"

"Yeah. What's your point, Red?"

"So don't say stupid things like that you'll stay. You can't stay, can you."

Blue opened his mouth and then closed it. He sipped his tea. He didn't argue.

"Melo can fly you back," Red said, ignoring the tightness gripping his chest. He had half-expected Blue to argue—no, it was worse than that. He had _hoped_.

But Blue just took another sip of tea and said, "Okay." His voice was flat. "Tell me one thing, though. What was the deal with that poacher? Why'd you send her to my town?"

"I didn't," Red said. He looked over to Katsu, who was grooming himself with overzealous innocence. "I guess Viridian was closest."

Blue didn't have anything to say to that. Red roused the rest of his team, and Blue greeted them quietly, sending out his own pokemon. Tajika and Melo instantly began to square off on the peak and the other pokemon gathered around them in a loose crowd, jeering and calling encouragement. It was like an amateur recreation of their last battle, like a children's game.

"Am I wrong?" Red asked Katsu quietly, as they watched from the cave.

Katsu's ears twitched. _Give him a chance, isn't that what I told you last time? You didn't listen. So I took things into my own paws a bit. Well, the way I see it, you tried this time. Not your fault he's always been a dunderhead._

Melo and Tajika's mock battle devolved quickly. Soon they were rolling on the snow, play-fighting. Melo had retracted his claws and Tajika's canons were drawn inward. The sun was beginning to set, staining the sky orange.

"You should leave now," Red called out to Blue, who was watching the pokemon scuffle by the edge of the peak. "The temperature drops quickly after dark."

Blue exchanged a glance with Tajika. The blastoise nodded, untangled herself from Melo, and lumbered over to Blue's side.

"I'm not, actually," Blue said. He frowned, as if realizing his words hadn't come out right. "I mean, I'm not prepared to leave right now."

"In the morning you mean? Okay."

"No," Blue said, "not in the morning, either."

They stared at each other. Blue drew in a breath. "Look Red, I don't really know what you want from me, but I'm not okay with leaving like this. I want to know where we stand, however long that takes."

At his side, Tajika gave an approving grunt.

"You have a gym," Red reminded him gently. It was harder, doing this a second time. Proving to himself again that Blue never, ever put Red before his own success.

The sun fell behind the hills, leaving the sky to darken rapidly. It was difficult to make out Blue's face in the gray, fading light.

"Maybe I'll lose my gym."

Red blinked, glancing down at Katsu to make sure he'd heard correctly.

"Maybe, Red," said Blue, his voice starting to rise, "maybe there are things more _important_ to me than my gym!"

"Like what?"

The pause stretched for five unbearable seconds.

"Like you! Red, I just, I never know with you. When it's okay and when it's not. You could be planning to stay up here another week or another ten years, for all I know."

"You said your life would be perfect without me," Red reminded him. A whole year he'd fallen asleep with those words ringing persistently in his ears. Words, apparently, that Blue had just tossed out and then forgotten, as if they were of complete insignificance.

"Well, I was wrong. I was wrong and I was an idiot. I was mad, okay? You were always going and beating me, just when I thought I was at the top of my game. But being a gym leader, I've learned a bit about winning. And about losing. There's different ways to lose, and every time I've lost to you, I've learned something. I wouldn't have gotten to where I am without that. So it was a stupid thing to say, because if you hadn't been there behind me every step of the way, I wouldn't be the trainer I am now. I think—" Blue's voice cracked. "I think I'd be pretty damn miserable, actually."

"I'm not behind you now." The words came out like an ultimatum. Maybe they were. "I'm done with chasing you, Blue. I'm done with waiting."

"Waiting?" He sounded alarmed. "Waiting for what? Red, I just don't know with you. Waiting for what?"

But Red couldn't say it, in the end. He couldn't say anything. He dropped his head down and realized that he'd lied. He _was_ still waiting for Blue to get it right. All these years, had he ever once asked? Had he ever once called out, "Slow down, wait for me, let's do this together?" He'd waited and he'd followed and he'd hoped that Blue would figure it out on his own.

_Idiot_, Red thought to himself.

Blue came forward slowly. He was just a darker patch of night now, except for the copper flash of the pendant on his neck.

"I don't know what you want from me, Red. But, if someone told me I had to make a choice, between you and my gym, I'd choose you. It wouldn't even be close."

"Liar." Red's eyes were hot and wet. Some liquid leaked from the corner of his eye before he could stop it. "It would be close."

"Fine," Blue said. "I'd have to think a bit. And when I was done thinking, I would choose you. You . . . you believe me, don't you?"

Red thought about that. He took his time, ignoring the crunching of the snow as Blue shifted his weight from foot to foot.

He was here, wasn't he? A mountain was a bit taller than a tree, but Blue was still here.

"Yes. I believe you."

At his feet, Katsu let out a small sigh. _Finally_, he muttered, a stray spark running up his tail.

"I don't really have much to pack," Red said into the silence. "But it would be better to wait until it's light."

"You—" Blue's voice was edged with disbelief. "You really are—" He was laughing almost hysterically now, his shoulders shaking. "Red, I don't think I'm ever going to understand what's going on in your head."

"Will you try?"

"Yeah, I will. I will."

Red looked out over the peak. Kanto glimmered below, a nation of expanding lights.

"It's quiet here. I'll miss it." He turned back to Blue. "I'm glad you came."

When Red held out his hand, Blue took it. They passed into the cave side by side, neither a step before or behind the other.

* * *

a/n: for any Lance fans reading this, I've started a fic chronicling Lance's journey to the championship.


	7. Holding On (Salamence)

**Chapter Seven - Holding On**

* * *

When Salamence closed his eyes, he was back at the nursery, butting heads with the other bagon. When the humans came with warm milk, they pushed each other out of the way, struggling for a full mouthful. Salamence hadn't been the strongest of his siblings, nor the quickest. Some days he was full; other days he went hungry. He liked living, in a mild way. He liked the rich tang of the milk and the warmth of his siblings when, tired of fighting, they huddled together beneath an outcrop.

It all changed when she came. Even her footsteps sounded different: loud and firm. Footsteps that would not stop, no matter what was in their way.

"That's it?" she said, the disdain clear in her voice. "A lethargic lot."

"They're just having their nap now, Miss, but in an hour—"

There was a muffled, wet sound and a cry. He'd looked up to see one of the humans cringing, its hand held to its face.

"You'll address me as _sir_," the stranger said. "And I will not be kept waiting."

She strode forward until she was only a few feet from the sleeping bagon. Then she clapped her hands sharply together. The sound sent them scrambling to their feet.

"Listen up, you miserable lot," she said. "You're weak. You're pathetic. You spend your time lapping at what you're offered. Most pokemon live like you. Most people, too. But your genes destine you for something different, if you want it. Those hard heads can become a crown. And those stubby arms—wings."

He'd felt a thrill course through him as she spoke. Without noticing, he'd taken a step forward. The motion caught her gaze. She stared at him, and then crouched, so she was looking into his eyes.

"You want to be strong?" she asked. "Then you have to prove you already are." She thrust out her arm, which was wrapped in strange, metallic strips. "Bite me here, as hard as you can. And don't let go, even if it hurts. Do you understand?"

He did. He held on, even as his mouth began to tickle, and then ache. Even as horrible jolts of electricity raced suddenly through his trembling body. He'd held on, until at last she smiled, and ran one gloved finger from his head down his back.

"I like this one," she said. He'd taken those words, wrapped them up, and stored them carefully somewhere deep inside his heart.

~0~

Salamence woke abruptly.

_I never let go_, he thought, his mind completely clear for the first time since his injury. _And I'm not going to start now._

He sat still for several minutes, taking stock of his body. There was still weakness in him. His bones were sore and his wings fragile. But he could walk now, up and down the peak without losing his breath.

The question was, could he fly?

"Melo took her to Viridian City," the thunder-rat had told him readily enough on that first day. "She's in police custody now. Don't know if they'll move her somewhere else."

He trusted the thunder-rat, on this at least. He was a joker, but not a liar. Viridian City was the human settlement closest to this mountain. His mistress had pointed it out as they passed over. A pointless town, she'd called it. A great man had lived there once, but he'd been defeated by a child.

It would not be a long flight. The trickiest part would be descending off the mountain. This high, the wind was strong and the alpine air freezing. And if he faltered, there was nowhere safe to land for many miles. If he had to come down in the snow, without sure shelter, he would freeze to death.

He would not be alive now if it were not for the protection these insulated caves offered and the food that the trainer Red had left behind. He had no allies to count on, either. The flamer had gone with the humans.

"Melo's offered to train me," the traitor had told him with wide eyes. "It's such an honor."

_Loyalty_ brought honor. But Salamence had no words to waste on cowards.

As for the rest—he'd never trusted them, and he had been proven right. They had slunk off one by one in the night. Weavile liked this mountain, with its infernal snow. He'd spoken of making a home and disappeared soon afterwards. Drapion muttered something about finally finding a mate. Ariados had said nothing, but she'd left all the same.

"You should move on, too," Drapion had said. "It hasn't been a bad life—a bit brutal, sometimes. But take the chance. Start a family. Or find another trainer if that's what you want. We're strong. We have choices."

Choices? Salamence had picked his path a long time ago and he had never looked back.

The trainer came to see him before he left. Salamence had watched him closely, wondering if his honor demanded a last, fruitless attack. But with the pikachu there, it would have gained him nothing. So Salamence held himself still and listened to the human.

"You'll be flying soon," the human said quietly. "Until then, we've left berries. Then you can go where you want to go. But first . . . you might want to think about what you really want."

Salamence had made a sound deep in his throat, almost a growl.

The human huffed a laugh. "When I came up here I didn't know what I wanted. It's only now that I see. My whole life I chased after him . . . for once, I wanted him to come after me."

Katsu nudged Red. "Two years I've been waiting to hear you admit that."

Red laughed again, more substantial this time. He moved his hands over the ruff on pikachu's head in steady, practiced motions. "Thanks for waiting."

Katsu sniffed. "What can I say? Sometimes you're worth it."

The thunder-rat lingered after the human left. "Mountain peaks are funny," he said cheerily. "If you look hard enough, you can see your whole life down there. And it makes you think, doesn't it? About whether you want to go back."

"I don't think that," Salamence had growled.

"Well, you don't think much, do you?" the pikachu answered with a smirk.

_Insolent rodent_. But he was loyal. Salamence could at least respect that.

The peak was deserted when Salamence stepped out. The late afternoon sun felt lovely and welcoming on his back. He paused, letting his eyes slide shut. Nothing but rest these past days and yet he still felt tired.

_No_. He had to focus. He had to marshal his strength one last time. Every moment increased the odds that his mistress would be lost to him for good.

Salamence gave his wings an experimental flap. When a warm updraft hit, he took off. It was glorious to fly again, though his wings were screaming. He completed a low lap around the peak and then crashed onto the snow, panting heavily. Nothing seemed to have re-fractured, but it was many minutes before Salamence could drag himself back into the caves where the berries were kept. He gulped then down quickly, the food bringing new energy into his body.

He completed two more laps before he had to face reality. If he tried to leave the mountain today, he would not survive the flight.

Frustration roiled through him, biting and sour. His wings were spent, but he still felt restless. Instead of turning back into the cave for another bout of troubled sleep, he picked his way slowly down the mountain side. His feet led him down the route he'd traced before in the company of the pikachu, into the devastated patch of forest. He stepped between the overturned trees, until he again stood at the mouth of the tyranitar's cave.

The tyranitar troubled him. It was clear he was a strong fighter, a pokemon of honor. It wasn't right for him to imagine that his children had met with a terrible fate. Salamence had to try again, explain about the training compound, the practice matches, that the food was not always given readily, but was given to those who showed strength.

"Hello?" he called out.

Too late, he realized he had come with no offering. The thunder-rat had brought berries at least.

There was no answer.

Salamence hesitated and then stepped inside the cavern. The dank, moldered smell of stagnant air rose to greet him. It did not smell like a cave where a pokemon lived.

His heart began to pound. He stood halted before the dark mouth of the cavern, unable to take a step forward. Reversing himself, he backed out and up the mountain, until he was huddled safely in the warmth of the human's cave.

_I will rest tonight_, Salamence told himself. And spoke aloud, like a promise, "Tomorrow I will be strong enough to make the flight."

~0~

He awoke the next morning filled with purpose. It was another clear day. The morning made the snow into slush under his feet as he padded out onto the peak. He caught an updraft and rode it, letting the wind bolster him up, and landed smoothly when the white flatness of the peak came into sight again.

It was time. Though his stomach didn't ache, he made himself swallow three berries. Then he planted himself at the tip of the peak and waited for a strong gust of wind. He rose, wings held at his side, riding the wind until it faltered. Just as he began to lose altitude, he spread his wings and pushed off. The mountain that had defeated his mistress lay stretched out before him, miles of sharp trees and icy currents. He pushed on, grateful for the wind at his back, though the air chilled him through and through.

The scars of the tyranitar's grief were even more visible from the air. His stomach tightened and he beat his wings harder than necessary, wishing to pass over the area quickly.

Even though the weather was in his favor, Salamence felt himself tiring rapidly. His breath was short and with each flap his wings seemed to gain weight. Then the image of his mistress, stolen away by grasping vines, rose in his mind. The anger that burned through him at the memory spurred him on, until at last the trees came to an end and he could see the lower lying rocks that they had encountered on their first ascent.

Salamence caught sight of the red roof of a pokemon shelter and almost paused. Such shelters were warm and packed with food more nourishing than alpine berries. But there was no knowing what he would encounter inside. Better to find his own shelter.

In the end, he landed on a rocky outstretch pocketed with holes. Finding one just big enough to hold him, he curled up inside. Down here, the air was warmer, but the hard rock offered no comfort. Still, he sunk easily into sleep, exhausted by the day's exertion and lightened by relief. He had escaped the mountain. From here, everything was possible.

~0~

Waking brought new pain. The ache, before confined to his wings, had spread into every part of his body, making movement almost unbearable. Chill had crept into his bones during the night and he shivered, even though the sun was beating warmly down.

It took him an hour of sun-soaking before the shivers ceased. His head felt bleary and his body still screamed for rest. But there could be no rest for him, not yet.

No, not yet.

Another hour of limping flight brought him into a human settlement. Viridian, unless he'd completely lost his bearings. He recognized the silver fist of the police station. The mistress had cursed at the symbol often enough.

Salamence made a heavy landing and stared up at the building, at a loss. Was his mistress really trapped in this small place? Even with the little strength he had now, Salamence thought he could burst it open like an overripe fruit.

But perhaps it would be better to be sure. He didn't have enough strength to spend it needlessly. Salamence stepped closer to the entrance way, which moved aside for him. The humans inside scented of surprise, but not fright.

"Is this the new normal now?" one said with a sigh. "At least this one doesn't seem to be carrying any international criminals."

_Criminal_. Salamence's ears perked up at the word. Poacher, thief, criminal. These were all titles his mistress had earned. He set off down the corridor, ignoring the humans scrambling behind him.

But all the rooms were empty. A mournful whine left his throat. Room upon room, but no trace of his mistress. He tramped back down the corridor into the room of humans. As he moved towards the exit, an object caught his eye. A pair of gloves, bright purple, lay carelessly on one of the desks. They belonged to his mistress.

Salamence roared, snatching the pieces of cloth in his mouth. So she had been here. And if she was gone, Salamence knew who could find her now.

Gripping the gloves tight in his mouth, he willed his exhausted muscles once more into flight.

~0~

"Hey now, if it isn't my favorite meat-head!" Savanta met him at the edge of the compound with a cheerful bark. The arcanine craned her head around. "Where's your crazy human?"

"You will not speak of her that way!"

Salamence flashed the bright red of his wings in warning, but Savanta just laughed. "Cool it, cool it. You know my mouth's faster than my feet and that's saying something. But what gives? Normally you stick to that lady's side like caterpie goo."

Salamence sucked in a breath. "My mistress has been captured. I need your help to find her."

"Wow." Savanta let out a soft growl. "They got the great Hunter J? How'd you let that happen?"

"I was weak," Salamence said heavily, the weight of his shame pressing back down on him.

Savanta studied him through narrowed eyes. "Yeah . . . you don't look so well. Let's talk business, later, huh? There's plenty of room in my kennel and some good leftovers to gnaw on."

"I don't have time for that. The scent must be growing cold as we speak."

"State you're in, I doubt you'd be much help even if we did find your mistress. So give your wings a rest and let me help you."

Salamence allowed himself to be led to Savanta's kennel. It was snug and warm, wide enough to accommodate both of them comfortably. The slops Savanta brought were considerably more to Salamence's taste than the mountain berries had been, and he dug in hungrily.

When he was finished, he told Savanta what had happened on the mountain. His defeat. His mistress' capture. He pressed the gloves under her nose.

Savanta took a long drag. "Yep, that's Hunter J all right. But look, if she's been transferred away from the local people, that means a van if we're lucky and a helicopter if we're not. My nose isn't a psychic tracer, you know."

Salamence's heart sank. "You can't help me?"

"Happy to take a sniff round, but honestly, I doubt it. You'd do better to hit up that old alakazam. The one that lives by Cerulean. She might be able to track her for you, though I gotta warn you, that gal's a mean customer."

"I'm in your debt, Savanta," Salamence said. He got quickly to his feet. Savanta rose as well, alarm sparking in her eyes.

"Here now, where are you going? Don't tell me you're feeling well."

"I'm well enough to make another journey."

"But you don't know where you're going, and without me telling you, you never will, either. So sit yourself back down. Tonight you'll rest and if you still want to go in the morning, I'll tell you what you need to know."

Salamence wanted to flame and threaten, but he knew Savanta's casual manner belied a will of steel. She wouldn't budge even if he blustered. Reluctantly, he lay back down, letting the warmth of the kennel wrap over him.

Something nagged at him. "What do you mean, _if _I still want to go?"

"Well . . ." Savanta licked at her paws for a bit. "It's just . . . you've done everything that could be expected of you. And for a trainer like that—"

"A trainer like what," Salamence demanded, tensing.

Savanta looked uncomfortable. "I just mean, let's say the situation was reversed, okay? Let's say it was you that got carried off somewhere. Would Hunter J be chasing after you?"

"Of course." Salamence didn't hesitate with his answer. "I'm her best mount, her strongest fighter."

Savanta's ears twitched. "Right, but let's say Hunter J would be able to find another salamence, just as strong as you, maybe stronger. You think she'd come after you then?"

Salamance said nothing.

Savanta let out a sharp bark. "That's what I thought. Now, my human? She would. That's the difference, there. That's what partnership means—I'm not replaceable."

Salamence's breath rattled loudly in the silence. "So you won't help me?" he said tightly.

"Didn't say that. Never said that. Just want to be sure you know what you're signing back up for."

After that, conversation seemed impossible, and Salamence had neither the desire nor energy to speak. He fell into uneasy sleep, in which he wandered through a dark, foul-smelling cave. Savanta's words chased him through the darkness.

_Replaceable. _

It wasn't true. She'd chosen him, over all the others, even though he hadn't been the strongest. When he found her, she'd choose him again.

~0~

_Cut through the forest until you see the human city. Pass it and then veer to the left. The landscape will become rocky. Fly until you find a place where the ground is level, but five stones rise in a circle, set equidistant from each other_. _That's where you'll find Sheb-Gadal._

When Salamence sighted the ring of stones, he cut down and landed in the middle. The rock beneath his feet was strangely smooth, almost slippery. If it had been slant, Salamence would have struggled to keep his footing.

He craned his head this way and that, but there was nothing in sight except the tall, strangely shaped stones and the overcast white sky.

"Hello?" he called out hoarsely. The rocks swallowed the sound.

The alakazam must be out. Foraging, maybe. Salamence didn't know how the mind-benders made their diets. Dreams, he'd heard once. The mind-benders liked to eat dreams. A shiver passed down Salamence's spine at the thought.

He kept vigil by the rocks until the sky began to pinken. Drowsiness was creeping up on him, but he was reluctant to fall into sleep. _The mind-benders like to eat dreams_.

Unless—the thought made Salamence stiffen. Unless that was the bargain. What had Savanta said?

_She'll want something from you, for her help_.

Salamence settled himself back down on the smooth bed of rock. He'd given his sweat for his mistress, his blood, his pain. Dreams were nothing. He jammed his eyes shut and tried to slow his breathing to a soothing tempo. Gradually, he slipped into sleep.

He stood on the peak of a hill, the highest point in the training compound.

"Your final test," she said, the wind blowing back her trench coat. "Show me you won't falter."

The metal encasing his wings made them hard to raise, but he raised them, letting out a proud cry. He fell into the air and beat hard. For a brief moment, he only felt the terrible weight. _I'll fall. I'll fail_. But with another beat of his wings, he was rising.

Then came the pain, sparking through his wings, enfeebling him. Salamence set his jaw and continued to move—his target was in sight now. All he had to do was reach it. Adrenaline surged through his body, holding back the pain. He gathered energy in his belly and expelled it in a single hot beam as he drew closer, blasting the target to nothing. Then he was banking down, onto the solid, grassy ground.

He was still catching his breath when the mistress landed besides him.

"Good," she said. "Very good."

After she'd left, her servants had removed the metal casing, soaked his wings in warm water until it didn't ache to move them. But she—this time she wasn't leaving. The mistress bent down at his side and pulled off the horrible strips of metal. She led him into the soak room and ran a warm cloth over his body.

"My loyal mount, my strongest fighter. There is no pokemon I'd choose over you."

Salamence luxuriated in the warm water, her praise. _If this never ends, if this could be eternity, that's all I need—this bliss_.

Cold.

The water was cold. Steam still hung in the air of the soak room, but it had turned a blackish-purple. It wrapped around the mistress, obscuring her from view.

_No!_

Salamence tried to get to his feet, but none of his muscles obeyed him. The purple steam crept closer, forcing itself into his mouth, down his lungs. He was choking. He—

He woke to rasping laughter. It was dark, the dark gray of early morning, and cool. A crescent moon still cast wisps of pale silver light. Salamence caught sight of a figure standing by the base of one of the stones.

"Sheb-Gadal," Salamence spat. The attack built in his stomach before he could think. His mouth opened, to expel the energy—

"No," said Sheb-Gadal.

Salamence's mouth snapped shut. Inside, the unspilled energy simmered and then dispersed, leaving a nasty burn in his belly.

Sheb-Gadal moved closer, her expression unreadable. Her whiskers brushed the ground. "Are you in control of yourself now?"

Salamence tried to nod, but his neck would not move. Still, the sentiment must have gotten through, because the hold lessened and he was able to open his mouth.

"You ate my dream."

"Yes."

"I need your help."

When she spoke, the alakazam sounded bored. "What else would bring you to this place, angry dragon?"

Salamence drew in a breath. This wasn't the time for bluster or flames. He'd entered this mind-bender's place of power and was at her mercy now. "My trainer has been taken from me. I need your help to find her."

"Your trainer? The human with gray-purple hair and angry eyes?"

That sounded like his mistress. Salamence nodded.

"I could know her—yes, I could trace her from that lopsided thing you call a bond. But why should I help you?"

Salamence's eyes went wide with indignation. "You ate my dream!"

"It didn't make much of a meal," the alakazam scoffed. "For a mighty master of the air, you don't set your sights very high."

Salamence felt his hackles rise. "What do you know?" he cried out. All the exhaustion and desperation of the past week seemed to bear down on him at once. "Nasty dream-eater, all alone with your stones, what do you know of _love_?"

A cracked, horrible sound rose from Sheb-Gadal.

_Laughter, _Salamence realized.

"Love?" she wheezed. "You call that love? I wonder what your _mistress _would call it?

Salamence opened his mouth, but it was impossible to make sound. The air was pulling away from him, there was nothing to breathe. He buckled under the wave of blackness, feeling weak as a kit, weightless. The world seemed to have gone away, leaving nothing, like he was suffocating in a dark cave, all alone . . .

With a rushing sound, reality returned.

Salamence sucked in greedy breaths of air, opened his eyes—

—and stared into the cold, iron face of a prison door.


End file.
